Higgins 'punches referee at charity snooker match'

Controversial snooker legend Alex Higgins attacked a referee at an exhibition match against Jimmy White which was arranged to raise cash for young players, it was revealed today.

The friendly game at a packed Spennymoor Leisure Centre, County Durham in England, ended in chaos last night when the official refused to carry on after he was punched in the stomach.

The 58-year-old two-time world champion from Belfast snapped when referee Terry Riley called a foul when the player touched the blue ball.

The official restrained Higgins and spectators came from their seats to split up the confrontation.

In 1986, Higgins earned a year-long ban for head-butting a match official, and he has had numerous scrapes with the snooker authorities in his long career.

Higgins continues to battle throat cancer and appears to be in frail health.

One witness said: “Higgins was drinking pints of Guinness between frames. Every now and again he would do a dance and a little jig at the table. There was obviously friction between himself and the referee, who was a lovely man – very calm and collected.

“Between frames, the referee sat down to calm himself. At the point where it all happened, Higgins touched a blue and the referee was going to let that go, because it was an exhibition match, but White said ’foul stroke’ – but only being jokey.

“Then the referee called foul, so Higgins turned to the referee, glared at him for a few seconds, went up to him and punched him in the stomach.

“The referee restrained him, and I thought he did a good job, and spectators came on and held him. The referee took off his gloves and abandoned the game.”

The players carried on without a referee for a short time, before ending the match.

The witness said other spectators did not seem too disappointed, as play had begun at about 8.30pm and finished after 10pm.

“It was not a washout; we saw some snooker,” he said.

A Durham Police spokesman said the force had not received any reports of an alleged assault.

Class one international referee Riley told the Northern Echo newspaper: “It was a punch and officials are not there to be punched.

“He just came at me and punched me in the stomach – that was when I pushed him away.”